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About Mary

Mary Penich, a retired teacher and administrator, has published more than 1000 weekly reflections in the St. Paul the Apostle Messenger in addition to articles in the Family Time pull-out of the Lake County News-Sun Newspaper and the Carmelite Review Magazine. Mary published her first children's book I DON'T LIKE MICE in 2009 and her second, OH NO! IT'S THURSDAY!, in 2011. She has also published three daily devotionals, SOMETHING TO THINK ABOUT... FOR LENT, SOMETHING TO THINK ABOUT... FOR CHRISTMASTIME AND WINTER DAYS, and SOMETHING TO THINK ABOUT... FOR LENT AND EASTERTIME. Mary appreciates every opportunity to share her life experiences and faith journey through her writing with both children and adults. Mary, a native of Chicago, now resides in Gurnee, Illinois.

God Bless You, Father Farrell

I have just received the news that my friend Father Farrell Kane is going home…

My husband and I met Father Farrell shortly after he was appointed pastor of our village’s first Catholic Church. My husband and I were thrilled with this news, and Mike contacted Father Farrell immediately to offer his services. I’m happy to share that we became fast friends. By February 1992, Father Farrell had gathered a handful of potential parishioners who assisted with the groundwork of building the parish. Father managed the preparations for our first Mass and then scrambled to assemble our first Sunday bulletin. After Father listed the standard parish information and described potential ministries, a good deal of white space remained. Because Father Farrell believed that teachers are masters of the spoken and written word, he relinquished his responsibility for that white space. Father knew that I was a teacher, so he simply suggested that I come up with “…something inspirational to fill a column or so.”

Since March 7, 1992, I have written Something To Think About for our parish bulletin each week. As the parish and the bulletin grew, Father Farrell asked that I increase my reflection from a single column to a full page. It has been with great pleasure and gratitude that I have continued this ministry for the past twenty-four years. The encouragement I received from Father Farrell nudged me further. I went on to write three seasonal devotionals and to create this blog. The faith Father Farrell invested in me back in 1992 is the source of everything that I have written since.

Father Farrell, on this day that you take your leave, I offer my heartfelt prayers that your expectations regarding God’s love for you are exceeded exponentially. I pray that the new life you embrace reaches far beyond anything you dared to hope for. I pray that those who mourn your loss as I do will also celebrate the many good things you have brought to each of us.